Rower Lukas Reim

Effort should pay off with Olympic qualification

Lukas Reim (left) has been training with partner Julian Schöberl for weeks.(Bild: Seyb)

The rowing duo Lukas Reim and Julian Schöberl start the World Cup season on Friday. The feeling is good after a long preparation. Although the Olympics are not yet on the agenda, a good result at the first qualifying event is still important. You have to fork out a five-figure sum for a complete set of equipment.

"Finally racing again," says rower Lukas Reim, looking forward to the upcoming World Cup start on Friday in Varesa (It). In Lombardy, things will get serious for the first time with regard to the Olympics. Reim and his partner Julian Schöberl will have to beat the second Austrian boat to qualify for the race two weeks later in Hungary. But the 26-year-old is optimistic: "We have prepared extremely well, now we have to give it our all."

To ensure perfect regeneration, the athletes are allowed to travel by plane. The equipment will be transported to the south by trailer. Caution is advised, as the rowing boat costs a lot of money. You have to fork out 20,000 to 25,000 euros for a two-man boat. Because it is sometimes a matter of hundredths, the boats are replaced by the association "every year or every two years," says Reim.

By comparison, an amateur athlete pays a four-figure sum and has the boat for ten to 15 years if it is well maintained. The sporting and financial outlay should pay off with a successful Olympic qualification. "We are motivated," is the message.